---
title: Didion Culinary Collection — Recipe Card Design
type: article
created: '2026-04-05'
updated: '2026-04-05'
source_docs:
- raw/2025-09-26-didion-90216392.md
tags:
- didion
- print-design
- recipe-card
- typography
- layout
layer: 2
client_source: null
industry_context: null
transferable: true
---

# Didion Culinary Collection — Recipe Card Design

Design decisions and layout specifications for the Didion Culinary Collection recipe card, finalized during a working session with Diana Henry (Didion) and Melissa Cusumano (Asymmetric).

See also: [[clients/didion/_index]] | [[knowledge/design/didion-culinary-intro-card-design]] | [[knowledge/design/print-specs-bleed-trim]]

---

## Ingredient Order

Ingredients were reordered by importance — required first, optional last — to reflect how a home cook would actually approach the recipe:

| Position | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 1 | Didion corn masa flour |
| 2 | Water |
| 3 | Kosher salt |
| 4 | Vegetable oil |

**Rationale:** Flour and water are non-negotiable. Salt is nearly universal but technically optional (Diana noted a colleague skips it). Oil is the most optional — many cooks don't grease the pan at all. The layout reads left-to-right, top-to-bottom, so position 1 is top-left and position 4 is bottom-right.

> *"Most important to least important."* — Diana Henry

---

## Text Edits

- **Removed** the phrase "in the masa" from ingredient descriptions — redundant given context, cluttered the layout
- Oil noted as optional in instructions where space allows
- Language kept minimal throughout; clarity over completeness

---

## Color Treatment

- **Changed all text to a single color (blue)** — previously used a two-color treatment with gold accents
- Gold was flagged as hard to read at small sizes
- Single-color treatment improves consistency and legibility, especially at print scale

> *"I do like the two color, but it's very valid about the gold is hard to read."* — Melissa Cusumano

---

## Spacing & Layout

- Added spacing between ingredient and instruction elements for visual breathing room
- Two-column ingredient layout retained; spacing between columns adjusted for clarity
- Reviewed line-by-line to avoid awkward wraps or orphaned words

---

## Print Specifications

Consistent with all other Didion Culinary Collection materials:

- **Bleed:** 0.125" per side
- **Total trim:** 0.25" all the way around
- Output: PDF with crop marks and bleeds

See [[knowledge/design/print-specs-bleed-trim]] for full spec reference.

---

## File Delivery

- Final print-ready PDF saved to the shared Google Drive recipe folder
- File naming convention: `Didion Recipe [version].pdf`
- Diana to submit directly to FedEx for printing; text notification preferred over email given email reliability issues at time of session

---

## Open Items (as of session date)

- [ ] Confirm whether "oil optional" language fits within instruction copy
- [ ] Verify Diana received the correct PDF version from the recipe folder